Matchbook



July 1, 1958 E. J. WEATHERS MATCHBOOK Filed Dec.

FIG.

4 INVENTOR ELBERT JOSEPH WEATHER'S United States Patent Ofifice2,84LZ'Z4 Patented July 1, 1958 MATCHBOOK Elbert Joseph Weathers,l'vianhattan Beach, Calif.

Applicatien December 3, 1956, Serial No. 625,863

1 Claim. (Cl. 206=29) This invention relates to bookmatches and more particularly to a bookmatch assembly in which the matches of the stack arearranged in a radial array.

Bookmatches of the prior art are generally arranged in a linear stack ofmatches each match vertically aligned parallel with the match next toit. One or more of such stacks are assembled in a folder or book.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bookmatch assembly inwhich the matchsticks are arranged so as to form a radially slotted discwith the match heads on the periphery of the disc, each match beingremovable radially by tearing from the center of the disc.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a book of matcheswith the matchstick in the form of a circle having its center centrallylocated in the matchbook.

It is another object of this invention to provide a folding book ofmatches with matches arranged as in the spokes of a wheel.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from thespecification which follows when taken together with the drawing and inview of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partially cut away View of a matchbook with a radial arrayof matches according to my invention, as seen from the back;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the matchbook shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the matchbook cover and matchstick array,respectively; and

Fig. 4 is another embodiment of the matchbook assembly of Fig. 1 shownfrom the front with its cover open.

For the purpose of providing a novelty suitable for more effectivelyadvertising objects of a disc like or circular nature it may sometimesbe desirable to arrange matchsticks in a match-book so that the sticksproject radially from the center of a disc shape with the striking headsof the matchsticks forming a peripheral termination of each radialmatchstick.

Such an arrangement is shown in an embodiment of this inventionillustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 there may be seen the external appearanceof a matchbook according to my invention when the book is closed, asviewed from the back and side, respectively. In Fig. 1 there is shownthe matchbook cover 11, further detailed below, and partially cut away,as at 12, to show the radial matchstick assembly 3 including amongothers matchsticks 13, 14 and 15. Two sticks from the radial assembly 3have been torn away as shown at 16. Each of the radial matchsticks ofassembly 3 has a match head 17. The front flap or cover 31 is seenthrough the cutaway portion 12 of the back flap 30. In Fig. 2 the frontflap 31 of the matchbook cover can be seen to be tucked under flap 33.The striking surface 32 may be on the front or rear surface. It isbelieved that the placement of striking surface 32 as shown in Fig. 1 isa novel position. The entire assembly of the matchbook is held togetherby two staples 9 inserted through flap 33. Flap 33 in many prior artmatchbooks contains the striking surface.

Particularly in Fig. 2, the appearance of the matchbook in accordancewith my invention can be seen to differ markedly from prior art andconventional matchbooks when viewed from the side of the book.

In Fig. 3, to which reference is now made, all parts of the assemblyhave been separated out in an exploded view. In (a) of Fig. 3 the radialmatchstick assembly 3, with mounting clamp 37, is shown. In (b) of Fig.3 the cover 11 is shown.

The radial matchstick assembly 3 includes a number of matchsticks suchas 13, 14 and 15 arranged radially about a hub 20 and forming somethingless than a full circle of matches, each with its peripheral matchhead17. The matchsticks as 13, 14 and 15 are formed by cutting a discradially at uniform angles starting from a point some short distance outfrom the center and continuing the cut right out to the edge. Matchheadssuch as 17 are formed by die cutting each radial sector at the peripheryof the circle formed in part by the matchstick assembly 3. Thematchstick array such as 3 may have a complete circle of matches in thearray. The heads then may be radially dipped into a safety match firingmaterial to form the matchheads.

Another part of the matchbook assembly shown in the exploded Fig. 3a isthe mounting clamp 37 having uniform front and back portions 35 and 36folded on fold 34 so that portions 35 and .36 are in alignment with oneanother and so that front disc portion 18 and rear disc portion 19 ofthe front and back portions 36 and 35 respectively my be in alignmentwith the central hub 20 of radial matchstick assembly 3. In theembodiment shown in the figures the circular areas 18 and 19 of theclamp 37 are assembled to hub 20 of radial matchstick assembly 3 andcenter holes 21, 22, and 23 are in alignment. Clamp 37 and matchstickassembly 3 are held together with the rivet 8'. in Fig. l, a staple 8 isshown as an alternative assembly device.

In the assembly 'of the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, clamp 37 is used tohold matchstick assembly 3 together in the matchbook because as may beseen in (b) of Fig. 3 the particular book cover assembly 11 as shown hascentral circular foramina 7 front and back. This is to simulate aphonograph record jacket in the matchbook cover to show how, as oneexample of an advertising medium, the matchbook as shown in Fig. 1 maybe used for a record manufacturer or distributor. Through the forarnina7 the number of matches remaining in the book be observed even when thecover is closed. But other uses of the radial matchstick matchbook ofthis inven' tion are possible where the cover 11 does not have theforaminate arrangement. In such an instance radial matchstick assembly 3and the front portion 36 of clamp 37 may constitute a single flatsurface, the structure of which is obvious from the drawings. In thisinstance staple 8 as shown in Fig. 1 is used to firmly attach the abovedescribed radial matchstick structure to the back 36 of cover ll.

In Fig. 4 a matchbook assembly according to this invention is shown withthe front cover flap 31 open. Note also that as shown in Fig. 4 there isno circular opening such as 7.

There has been described above a novel matchbook assembly wherein thematches are stacked in a radial array. While only a single radialmatchstick assembly such as 3 is shown in the illustrated embodiment, itwill be clear that a pair or several such radial matchstick arrays a 3may be stacked on a common center, riveted together or stapled togetherand each array 3 staggered with respect to its adjacent array 3 toprevent heads 17 of one array from touching heads 17 of its adjacentarray.

Wha t is claimedas newis: 7 .7 l J a V: t In a folded rnatc hb ooktassemlglya ;rad ial -matchstick "array comprising j a central hub with:niatchgieksi ii;-

teg rally arranged withand about said hub in nagram radial" array,said'rnatchsticks having their headset the periphery of the circleformed by said arraytand aglamP- 'ing member having a'lateral fold toform front ancl back clamping portions, said clamping portions beinggenerally circular and equivalent in size to said central hub, each,

' respectivelyyof said front and back clamping portions'heing joinedwith said lateral fold by a trapezoidalse'ction;

the longer dimension of said section being nearest said fold and theshorter section thereof being nearest said clamping portion. 7

References Cited in' the file of this patent V UNITED STATESPATENTS D.137,983 Macdonald May 30, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 525,778 Gerrnany Ma28,1931

